Gosford Street

The story of his death says that he was stabbed in or just outside the court where he lived. The article came with a sketch reconstruction of him being stabbed and of the scene, just at the passageway to court 19 (as determined by yourself and Victoria). It shows the umbrella maker's shop. I wanted to determine how realistic the sketch was and which buildings it represented. I now think that it's not a bad impression of the real buildings involved, with the exception it fails to show that it was a jettied building (which I know from other sources). So yes, the court was 19 and the property number 11. Though I can't see 11 buildings.

A little bit of info regarding Court 19 Gosford Street.

Post 100 Neil, I think that building on the left where the road makes a left turn survived the war. I am sure I used to see it and some of those on left side cycling home from town. I believe there was, as late as the 50s or 60s an antique dealer called Luckman in the top l/h corner of the photo.

In the 1955 directory there is W A LUCKMAN at 56 Gosford Street, next to the New Inn public house. In the directory for 1960 the street numbering has changed and the New Inn is at No. 5 but LUCKMAN is not in Gosford Street.

Thanks for that Heathite, so I was right about the 1950's and the siting of Luckman. Obviously gone by 1960. I finally left Coventry in 1961.

Looking at the Gosford Street posts, I wondered where the name Gosford originated. I have not found it anywhere here but looking at the etymology for the word 'Gos' which seems to be Goose. Thus Gooseford? If that is correct it suggests a ford where geese were kept or used to cross a stream . It seems that the Sherbourne crosses the area just outside the Gosford Gate. Can anyone elucidate on the meaning

Sounds very likely to me the Gooseford. But see Victoria County History Vlll Coventry, Streets (vicus de Gosseforde, goseworde stret, late 12th century.) Ford seems more likely.

In my "Stan Beasley" stuff he has created a map from documentary evidence that calls the street "Vicus de Gosseforde" pre 1200. There was also a swine cross in Gosford Street. Unfortunately I can't find anything to suggest what that means in Latin but the French word Gosse means child.

Anne I have just looked up Swinford another place name of course. It seems that name derives from swine ford. If there is a ford for swine, why not one for geese? Pretty close I think. Thanks for the inspiration.

I agree. The Old English word for goose is gos. In 1750 the area was bounded by the Sherbourne to the west and the River (more of a stream) Arthur to the east. Originally the area could have been a series of smaller rivulets and been ideal to walk geese through, water them, feed them and wash them just before being sold. The straightest line from Gosford Street to Far Gosford is through the New Inn and that may have been the route of the ford. Only as that became unused because of the bridges, was that route blocked off by buildings. Gosford on Old Maps The crosses do seem to have acted as animal market places but maybe wholesale? The Gosford cross is labelled swine cross as is the one at the west end of Silver Street (the other end of the road was called the pig market), but those names may be more modern. The priories held the rights to the market and that would have been in the centre. The people selling were also taxed (often to obtain money to pay for the wall and roads) and they may have been stopped near the gates to pay up.

A 17 year old kid stabbing an 18 year old, he got off with a life sentence, wonder if they were on drugs (does it give you goose pimples)? Can't think why a goose needs a ford?

Kaga Perhaps if you want to drive geese across a stream instead of having them swimming away down it, a shallow strip across the water is easier to manage. Don't want to get to market with half of your merchandise going astray.

It is suggested on a site on t'internet that there are several place names the mean "Goose Ford", places where geese were driven in flocks. It would actually mean shallow for where even geese could be driven. There is also a Goss Moor in Cornwall which is believed to be from "cors" meaning a boggy or marshy place. So could be either. I was wondering which came first, Gosford Street "Vicus Gosseford" or Gosford Green. It also made me think of Radford, which is apparently a place next to a reed bed.

Hi Anne, The Goss Moor I remember it well, Anne. The A30 bisects it & the Newquay branch railway line travels through it. Love your posts, as always.

Argon. There was an easier way - a handful of corn, and they followed like the pied piper. We let the young bull out in the yard to drink, scattering the geese. The big, bold gander came at him hissing, and grabbed the curls on his forehead. The bull tossed his head, the gander was thrown over his head onto the cobblestones that broke his back. We ate goose meat for whole week.